How to Coach Yourself and Others Coaching Families

IV. The Fundamental Concepts Of Family Therapy - Outline by Anabella Pavon A. Conceptual influences on the evolution of family therapy 1. Opening thoughts a. Systems theory i. Consensus among family therapists about systems theory - most influential in development ii. Consensus among family therapists about systems theory - don’t really know how to explain it iii. Systems theory - abstract concept; way of thinking rather than established doctrine b. Many influences on family therapy i. Biology v. Community mental health ii. Physiology vi. Anthropology iii. Cybernetics vii. Social work iv. Psychosomatic medicine 2. Functionalism a. Reaction to evolutionary method of removing from context b. Anthropology - Malinowski and Brown - need to study in context c. Functionalist premise - "...the adaptive value of any activity can be found if the behavior is viewed in the context of the environment" (pg. 110) d. Evolutionary theory and psychoanalysis e. Bateson f. Functionalist influence on family therapy i. Deviant behaviors may be functional - (scapegoats) ii. Brass tacks - families are organisms adapting to environment in context problems with family show problems with adjustment to environment iii. Problem - "us against them" 3. General systems theory - Bertalanffy - a misinterpretation a. All systems are subsystems b. What did family therapy forget? Larger systems c. Is it important for family therapists to consider values? 4. Cybernetics of families a. Weiner’s idea of self - correcting systems b. Feedback loop i. Negative feedback loop - reduces deviation or change ii. Positive feedback loop - amplifies deviation or change c. Cybernetics applications to families: family rules, neg. Feedback, sequences of interactions, positive feedback loops when neg. Feedback loops don’t work d. Meta communicating - communicating about communicating e. Bateson - introduced concept to family therapy - movement from linear circular causality f. Split - Haley control and power vs. Bateson 290

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